artist: Picture Atlantic | genre: alternative, rock | label: unsigned
I like what I hear from San Jose California’s Picture Atlantic. They’re an American band with a definite English influence, which perhaps played a role in Coldplay selecting them to open one of their San Jose shows. Or maybe Coldplay took a shine to singer Nikolaus Bartunek’s falsetto, which often sounds like Chris Martin’s.
Around since 2006, Picture Atlantic have released two albums and three EPs, with their most recent EP, When Everything Is Numbers, arriving in December of last year. The EP features the ridiculously-good opener, “Joust,” which flits and floats and immediately burrowed into my brain. Other stellar tracks featured on their myspace page (www.myspace.com/pictureatlantic) include the slow intensity of “Beehive,” the sadness and longing of “Air,” and “Wrapped Up,” and the punch of “Guerilla” (video above) and “Muses.” Picture Atlantic show strength in a variety of styles and the ability to deliver memorable songs. Can’t argue with that.
Check their website, www.pictureatlantic.com, for upcoming Cali shows and to listen to the latest EP. And if the day comes when they’re big-time, you can tell your friends, “oh yeah, man, Picture Atlantic, I go way back with those guys.” These guys are worth your time.
- Thurdeen
